Dear My Beloved
by WriterFreak001
Summary: Do you remember me? Remember our promise? Do you ever regret leaving the Living World? … I understand why you left… that you didn't feel safe inside your own skin ever since your demonic bloodline killed Sensui, I get that, I really do, and I know you're finding answers, hoping to learn how to control your strength before returning, but… [More Inside]. Rated M. Y/K
1. Prologue

**WriterFreak001:**

Here's another story for ya! 3

I just finished re-watching the anime, and damn, I might have to watch it again because I didn't want it to end. ;~; BUT HEY! There will be two new OVA episodes released in October in Japan to look forward to. I really hope they'll let Funimation dub the episodes and release them in the US because I want to see those extras sooooo badly. .

P.S. for those of you who may be reading my other fanfic WIPs, please be patient. I write where the inspiration takes me. I apologize for any unfinished story and promise to update those as soon as my muse for those stories return.

For now, please enjoy some YYH YnK fluff. ^_^

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 **Title** | Dear My Beloved

 **Fandom** | _Yu Yu Hakusho /_ 幽 遊 白書

 **Pairing** | Yusuke Urameshi & Keiko Yukimura

 **Description** | _Do you remember me? Remember our promise? Do you ever regret leaving the Living World? … I understand why you left… that you didn't feel safe inside your own skin ever since your demonic bloodline killed Sensui, I get that, I really do, and I know you're finding answers, hoping to learn how to control your strength before returning, but… I just wish I knew where we stand at this point._

 **Rating** | To be safe, this fanfiction story is rated M for language (mostly) and slightly graphic sexual scenes.

 **Disclaimer** | I don't own anything except for the storylines. ^_^

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 **Author's Note** |This story will be in good ole 3rd person (it's easier to write). Also, in Episode 112, I assumed Keiko had just ended the first part of her second year in high school so in this story, she will be just finishing summer vacation and will be entering the second part of her second year… so think September.

Also, I'm basing the timeline of this story in the early 1990s since the first book was published in 1991 in Japan. Assuming Yoshihiro Togashi was using the publishing year as a foundation for the manga's timeline, I'm am going to assume that Yusuke & Keiko were 14 in 1991, Yusuke left for Makai in 1992 before his 15th birthday, and so the time frame for this story will start in 1994 and will flash back to moments varying from years 1992-1994. ^_^;

 **Last note** : For the sake of this story, I'm making Yusuke's birthday June 28, 1977 (since he's likely age 14 by 1991, when the manga was published.)

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **PROLOGUE**

幽 遊 白書

Yusuke Urameshi was perhaps the strongest being in Living World, but other than kicking Kuwabara's ass every once in a damn while, he really didn't have much to show for his strength anymore. Ever since the beginning of Enki's reign in the Makai, the threat to all mankind had virtually been eliminated with a few minor exceptions (nothing the newest Spirit Detective – whoever the hell he or she was – couldn't handle, of course).

Botan promised to keep Yusuke apprised of any major problems in the three realms, but since the end of the Demon World Tournament a few months ago, no real issues had surfaced, making life in the Living World quite peaceful for our favorite boy wonder….

Well, almost.

幽 遊 白書

"YUSUKE! YOU JERK!"

The instant force of Keiko's slap sent Yusuke fumbling and flopping backwards like a tumbleweed across the pavement, and once he had finished pulling his bones together, his palms hugged his painful cheeks and he sent his fiancée a goofy, toothy grin in response. "Damn. I sure did miss those."

"Hah!" Keiko rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and swiftly approached him, "How can you say you miss them when I slapped you just yesterday for groping me in public! And now today, you flip my skirt?! What the hell is wrong with you?! I thought you grew up while you were gone, but obviously, I was wrong."

Yusuke rolled backwards a little before flipping onto his feet. He swiped the dirt off of his once-clean, white t-shirt and stretched his arms before popping his back. He then shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked, "Let's just say I'm making up for lost time."

Keiko flushed deeply and whipped her long, chestnut hair around, smacking him in the face as she turned towards the direction of her high school. "Don't know why I bothered waiting for an ass like you," she muttered quietly, knowing he could hear every word. As she began marching away, Yusuke followed and impulsively grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving him.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Yusuke sighed, hoping he sounded sincere. He gently squeezed her palm and laced his fingers with hers, something he started to do more often since his return. They continued walking hand-in-hand, but he knew Keiko wasn't going to let things go with just a quick apology. He reached behind him with his other hand and scratched the back of his shoulder, wondering how the hell he could tell her what's on his mind without sounding too uncool. "I know I've said this before," he muttered, "but I really _did_ miss you while in Demon World…"

Keiko cocked her eyebrow. "Seems like you missed my ass and my boobs more."

Yusuke couldn't help but smirk by the slightly colorful language Keiko had apparently picked up in his absence (which never went unnoticed). He smirked and tapped his nose with his thumb as he tugged Keiko closer to him by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Chuckling, he said, "Well, you definitely _have_ _the perks_ , I won't deny _that_." His short-lived laugh withered under his fiancée's piercing glare and forced a cough. "But I missed the _whole_ package," he confessed with a light blushing across his cheeks. He avoided looking directly at her and gently scratched his neck. "But I'm not talking about missing your body if that's what you're thinking… I, uh…," He swallowed his goddamned pride and forced his heart to bleed as much mush as it could for as long as he could withstand it. "I missed you, and everything that _is_ you, down to the annoying lectures, the agonizing slaps, the quiet, girly giggles… I missed everything." He paused and frowned a little. "I've been home for several weeks; haven't I told you all of this mushy stuff already?"

Keiko shook her head. "Not in so many words…," Then, a beautiful smile colored her rosy lips, and she muttered, "But I'm glad you finally did even if those feelings were a bit obvious." She leaned in, kissed his cheek softly and slipped her arm around his back, tugging herself even closer to him.

"What about you?" Yusuke lifted a curious brow, "How much did you miss me?"

Keiko was silent for a moment, and Yusuke waited patiently, wondering how she would respond. "Well…, there were times at school when I would go to the roof and expect you to be there…, but then you weren't…and then I would remember that I attended an all-girls school and would realize that you wouldn't have been there anyway." She let out a quiet laugh as she leaned her cheek against his shoulder and smiled. "There were a lot of things I missed while you were gone. But, if you want a simpler, then… I missed you every single day in every single way that makes you _you_."

Yusuke grinned a little and turned to kiss the top of Keiko's head. His smile, however, faded when he caught all of the eyes of Keiko's fellow peers staring at them. "Uh, Keiko?"

"Hm?" She had been in her own little world, obviously not paying any mind to the attention they were receiving.

"Why is the whole freakin' student body staring at me as if I had groped your chest in public or somethin'?" His eyebrow twitched from all the eyes pointed in his direction. "I mean, I know it's your first day back for the remaining school year, and I _did_ just flip your skirt a few minutes ago, but that was before we reached the gate, so it's not like anybody saw anything…." He mumbled that last part, unaware of Keiko suddenly glaring at him. When he felt the heat of her eyes, Yusuke flashed her an innocent, toothy grin but scowled the moment some dude from the all-boy school glowered at him.

"What're _you_ looking at?" Yusuke spat, absentmindedly pinning Keiko to his side, not liking the way the other guy seemed completely ticked off that he and Keiko were together.

The scrawny fleabag tilted his glasses downward as if to look more threatening than he already was but then flashed a polite-as-hell smile towards Keiko, pissing Yusuke off even more. "Is this street thug bothering you, Yukimura-san?"

Before Yusuke could answer and tell the twerp to buzz off, Keiko beat him to it. "Not that it's any of your business, Fujiwara-san, but this _street thug_ ," Keiko pointed to Yusuke and grinned as she touched her cheek to his shoulder, "is my fiancé."

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at the bastard and pulled down on his left eye, oblivious to Keiko. "That's right, bucko." He proudly pointed to himself, "We're getting married someday. Now beat it before I beat _you_."

With nothing else to say, Fujiwara-shitface whipped around and marched away, and Yusuke snickered as he fluttered his fingers towards the bastard, waving goodbye, but the moment he saw Keiko's frown and death glare, he froze. Just what the hell did he do, _now_?

"You didn't have to threaten him." She said, pointedly.

"It was a figure of speech," Yusuke shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I got rid of him, didn't I?"

"Not the point," Keiko sighed as she stopped walking, her hold on him stilling his feet as well. Ignoring all of the continuous stares, she turned to face him and strung her arms around his neck. He naturally slid his palms to the small of her back and smiled when she smiled. "I have my reasons for not telling my peers about you, and I promise we'll talk later after school, but I have to get going. Okay?"

He didn't argue and slowly nodded, knowing he would lose _any_ argument against her. "Okay,"

Keiko stepped up onto her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, but Yusuke was feeling a bit bold so before she could whirl away from him and head towards the school building, he swiftly cupped her face in his large palms and deeply kissed her, wanting to give the whole damn school something to talk about.

Realizing that Keiko would slap him into his grave if he had ever accidentally made her late for her class, he popped his lips off of hers and smirked as she stood there in a daze. "All right, Cloud 9, time to go to school." Yusuke poked her nose gently, waking her from her trance.

Keiko shook her head swiftly as if to refocus her mind, but then grinned ear to ear before pecking him on the lips once more. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered into his ear (something he'd heard many times before), but before he could react, she wormed herself away from him and dashed off to the main entrance of her school, leaving Yusuke at the gate with a shit-eating grin.

…

All right, what to do while Keiko's at school…

The arcade was out because the last thing he wanted was to get angry for losing another deadbeat game and ending up destroying the machinery… That would certainly not go over very well…

Kuwabara was at school, so he couldn't disrupt him…

Kurama was out of town, taking some vacation with his mother and new step family since he was away for so long…, and forget trying to hang out with Hiei… Keiko would skin him alive if he even attempted a visit to the cave. (Cave-exploring would just have to wait until he could convince her that he was home for good… that any visit to Demon World would only be brief and not long-term).

So, as he evaluated all his options, he decided to head for the Yukimura Diner, needing some good ole R&R.

When Yusuke arrived, hepulled on the door and slipped inside the diner to find his future in-laws cooking a few customer orders, so he gave them a wave when they noticed him, and then took his shoes off in the small stairway before disappearing upstairs. He waltzed into Keiko's bedroom and closed the door, not wanting to be bothered unless it was absolutely necessary.

Without warning, he hopped onto Keiko's bed and hugged her pillow with every intention of taking a nap, but five, ten, maybe twenty minutes had passed, and he realized he was way to wound up to fall asleep, so he turned on the TV and flipped through about fifty channels, but nothing interested him.

"Maybe I'll raid her underwear drawer," he mumbled to himself, but he knew that if Keiko's parents caught him holding up one of Keiko's naughty panties (a rather delightful change he discovered the _first time_ he flipped her skirt), they'll never let him live to forget it.

So, he started perusing her books, but other than a few English and Japanese romance novels, there wasn't much there… He ventured over to her computer and shrugged. "Why the hell not." But as he pulled back her chair, the pen on her desk rolled off and fell on the floor. Pushing the chair away, he bent down and curled underneath the space of the desk where the feet go and grabbed the blue, feathery pen. As he slammed it on top of the smooth, wooden surface, he bumped his head on the keyboard drawer and doubled over, groaning in pain and not noticing the quiet _thunk_ behind him.

Holding the sore spot on his head, he ducked down when he pulled himself out of the leg cave, and frowned, wondering how a stupid desk drawer could hurt him, but a blast to the face couldn't… but the idea was lost on him when he spotted a light blue, leather-bound journal on the floor, flipped open to one of its pages. "Well, that wasn't there before," he pursed his lips, wondering where it came from. Without further ado, he picked it up and held it in the air to examine it. "Can't be a diary; all of her diaries have a lock on them…"

He absentmindedly wondered over to the bed and glanced at the opened page, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the first two words: "Dear Yusuke." Since killing curiosity was never a talent of his, Yusuke read on.

 _ **DATE: July 21, 1994**_

 _Dear Yusuke,_

 _Everyone else is back from Demon World, but two months after Kurama returned, you're still not here…_

 _Do you remember me? Remember our promise? Do you ever regret leaving the Living World? … I understand why you left… that you didn't feel safe inside your own skin ever since your demonic bloodline killed Sensui, I get that, I really do, and I know you're finding answers, hoping to learn how to control your strength before returning, but… I just wish I knew where we stand at this point._

 _You promised three years, but it's been two. Kurama says you're doing fine and tying loose ends, but… how many loose ends are there to tie before coming home?_

 _I can't wait forever, Yusuke…, and I don't know how much longer I can handle your absence. I love you, and I will always love you even if your heart has forgotten mine, but I need to start thinking about what's best for me… what I want…_

 _My father and mother keep asking about you and when you'll be home, and though I never have an answer for them, I lie and say, 'Soon,' because that's the lie I want to believe, but maybe I've believed in it for far too long._

 _I meet with Genkai and the others today…, and Genkai told me earlier that she had Kurama pass along the invite to you so… I've decided… if you're not there… if you don't show up, then it must mean you don't care enough about us to come back…_

 _I don't have high hopes anymore so…_

 _I guess it's goodbye… forever._

 _Have a nice life, Yusuke._

 _Love always,_

 _Keiko._

Yusuke sat there, motionless for many quiet moments, his mind repeating every word he had just read. He slowly brought his fingers to his eyes and wiped away his threatening tears, not realizing how much he had emotionally hurt Keiko while he was away. "But I came back," he replied, as if she was right there in the room, sitting next to him. Then he noted the date and realized it was an old entry, one written the same day he returned. "I'm such an idiot," he self-criticized, hating himself for the way he made Keiko feel during his absence. He took their relationship for granted more than he wanted to admit, and yet, Keiko _still_ barely held on and waited for him to return.

And what did he have to show for it?

He chuckled emotionlessly and dug his hand into his pocket, feeling for the small jewelry box tucked deeply inside. "I haven't even given her the ring, yet."

Inhaling a deep breath, Yusuke fell backwards onto Keiko's bed and rolled onto his stomach before flipping to the first page of the journal, wondering if there was anything else Keiko had written to him while he was gone.

And when he found the first entry beginning with the same words as the other one, he continued reading, not caring what the consequences could be…

幽 遊 白書

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 **WriterFreak001:**

When I originally wrote this story, it was going to be a oneshot, but the document was over 30,000 words and figured that was way too much for a one-shot. Instead of shortening it, I've divided the story up into sections. I have almost the whole story written, but I'm not going to post the whole story if it's not going to be read so please review if you want to read more. ^_^;

I really thrive on reviews.


	2. Part 1

**I decided to post the next one. :)**

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **PART 1**

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **ENTRY #1**

 _ **DATE: June 28, 1992**_

 _Dear Yusuke,_

 _Today is your 15_ _th_ _birthday, and even though I wasn't happy with your decision to leave Living World last night, I understand. I may not like it, and I know I will miss you every single day you're gone, but I tried to put myself in your shoes and grew to realize the internal struggle you must have been going through… wondering what that other side of you is… worrying that it might take control again and hurt someone you love…_

 _I see it now, and if you believe you'll find answers in Demon World, then I hope you find them…, and when you do, please come home safe and sound. Don't you dare get yourself killed, or I will throttle Koenma and demand he bring you back only for me to kill you myself. And trust me, dying in Demon World will seem like a picnic for what I would do to you._

…

 _I know I've never really said it in so many words, but I do love you, Yusuke. I always have, I always will… and I wish I was less insensitive last night because… let's face it… there's a small possibility I may never see you again. But I'll stay hopeful for now. If…_ _ **When**_ _you come back, you better have a damn ring ready to put on my finger the moment you see me, or I'll smack you so hard, you'd wish you never came back._

(Yusuke smirked at that thought, remembering just _how_ she smacked him on the beach that day. Now if only all her smacks would end up in a heated kiss.)

 _By the way, just so you know, I don't care if you return with long hair and tattoos like that one time after defeating Sensui. If that is to be your new appearance, please know that it will not change anything. I will love you just as much if not more._

… _Please find your way back to me…_

 _I told you in my dream when you died the first time that I would wait forever for you, and that has not changed. You said three years, but I will give you my entire lifetime if that's how long it'll take._

 _With love,_

 _Keiko_

* * *

 **ENTRY #2**

 _ **DATE: June 29, 1992**_

 _Dear Yusuke,_

 _It's only been a day since you've left, but it's felt like a lifetime. Knowing I won't hear your voice tomorrow… or the next day… or the day after that… is heartbreaking, but I shouldn't be sad because I'm used to your absence. You've been in and out of my life so much that three years should be a piece of cake…, but I think it's harder because there's no absolute certainty that you'll come home._

 _All I can do is hope and pray that I'm strong enough to wait that long. Maybe this is our final test… if we can withstand three years of separation, then maybe we can endure all things that come our way, but right now, not knowing how you're doing and not being able to contact you makes me feel like I'm taking this test all by myself._

 _That thought soft of tickles me, you know? It sort of reflects how we've always been because in reality, you've always been a horrible test-taker, and I've always done well… so I'm determined to see this test through. I excel at many things, I'll excel at this one too._

 _I have to._

 _It's the only way I know how to thrive…_

 _It pains me that you've ventured off to a place where I can never reach you, which makes me worry over any possibility of you never coming home. I'm sure it's comfortable there; you've found your element. Everyone fighting all the time. I've always known that fighting would forever be your first love, and I know I can never compete with that, but I hoped, one day, you would settle for me, your second love. Maybe I'm wrong… Maybe I'm not patient enough… I pray we will eventually get there._

 _You'll forever be in my heart; I hope I'm in yours._

 _Love always,_

 _Keiko_

* * *

Yusuke lowered the journal and inhaled deeply, really, truly disappointed with himself for not making his feelings for Keiko any clearer. Of course, he knew she knew he loved her; he's told her plenty of times in the past, especially on the day he left for Makai.

"But I had to be the jerk that always ran off to fight the next badass without considering how my constant disappearances would make Keiko feel…"

And yet… didn't she know that he always came back? That she was the home he came to every time he returned? Keiko's position in his life was always very clear to him; he loved her more than life itself. He proved that over and over again each time he almost lost his life because she was in danger.

He had valid reasons for not always telling her where he was going, what he was doing, or how dangerous his missions were going to be. He didn't want her to follow (much help that did, no thanks to Puu) and end up getting hurt… Surely, she understood that, right?

Right?

Unable to answer his own question, he brought the journal back up to his face and began reading the next few entries…

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 **ENTRY #3**

 _ **DATE: June 30, 1992**_

 _Dear Yusuke,_

 _I miss you. Do you miss me?_

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 **ENTRY #4**

 _ **DATE: July 1, 1992**_

 _Dear Yusuke,_

 _Have you thought about us? About your promise? It's been four days, and I hate sounding like I'm a desperate girlfriend or something, but I need a sign, anything, to know you're all right._

 _Kuwabara and I have entrance exams coming up soon, and I'm still wanting to apply for Daichi's Academy. I think it might be the best choice for me. Besides the high standard for academic excellence, since it's an all-girls school, it'll be easier while you're away… I hope._

… _I hate to say this, but… I don't know how often I'll write to you this summer. Once I take the exams, my father wants me to work the shop during the break since they'll be gone for a month to gather more supplies and attend different business meetings in Kyoto._

…

 _I won't lie, Yusuke. I'm angry with you for leaving like that… for proposing to me in front of my father just because you were afraid I'd leave you for some other guy while you're gone. I know I basically dumped you at the river earlier that day, but you've never actually taken me seriously in the past, so… why then?_

 _Did you not trust me?_

 _Maybe the mistrust was my fault; I shouldn't have reacted the way I did when you first told me you were leaving for Demon World. I was just… so upset and angry that you were going to leave – again – when we've barely had time to relax and enjoy our relationship. I really thought, after you defeated Sensui, things would calm down for us, and for a few days, it had, but obviously simply living life was too boring for you. Maybe our relationship was beginning to be too boring for you, too._

 _I'm sorry…, that last comment wasn't fair._

 _I know you didn't leave because of us… but each time you_ _ **do**_ _leave, it feels like another piece of us crumbles away because you're further and further away, and I can't help but wonder, how much of us is there?_

 _Will you remember me while you're away? Will you actually try to return home when you're done? If you're done?_

 _I promised you I would wait, and I will._

 _You have my heart, Yusuke Urameshi. Don't crush it._

 _With so much love and irrational patience,_

 _Keiko_

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 **ENTRY #5**

 _ **DATE: July 14, 1992**_

 _Dear Yusuke,_

 _I apologize for not writing in almost two weeks. Working at the diner while my parents are gone hasn't given me a lot of free time, and when I'm not cooking for customers, I'm busy kicking them out for being rude or inappropriate._

 _Some high school jerk actually asked me if he could pay his tip upstairs, and if it wasn't for Shizuru's quick response, I would have clocked him straight in the nose before smacking him out the door. (Shizuru and Yukina were visiting that evening for some girl talk after my shift.) Luckily for me, before Shizuru sent him home with his tail between his legs, she happened to swipe enough money from his wallet to pay for his meal and a generous tip. I doubt I'll ever see that stupid jerk again (and good riddance, too!)_

 _I swear, if half of the jerks who come to the restaurant with their dirty thoughts knew who my boyfriend was, they'd think twice before opening their foul mouths. Knowing you, if you were here, you'd slam their faces into the ground for even 'thinking' inappropriately, let alone speaking._

 _Whenever Shizuru isn't here, my hand does get a pretty fantastic workout, smacking idiots left and right, so once you're home, if you make me mad, you'll feel more pain in my slap than ever! That's a promise._

(Yusuke visibly winced, knowing just how much she stayed true to her last statement. Her slap was harder than ever, and such a fucking turn-on! Of all of the beings he had defeated in his life, she was the only one who outmatched him every time. And she freaking used that knowledge to her advantage, he was sure of it.)

 _If you ever read these letters, make me a promise not to hunt down every last idiot who ever tried to hit on me while you've been gone. Koenma told me you've been exonerated in Spirit World so let's not add you to a police force hitlist once you're home; it's hardly worth the exhaustion._

 _Which, by the way, you've been gone for half a month, and it's already felt like a year. Hurry back, Yusuke. Life is dull without you here._

 _With love,_

 _Keiko_

幽 遊 白書

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 **WriterFreak001:**

PLEASE review! :) They boost my confidence as a writer.

Some of these chapters may seem incomplete only because it's just a section of the larger whole.


	3. Part 2

**Dear My Beloved**

 **PART 2**

幽 遊 白書

* * *

Yusuke sighed deeply and stretched his arms, needing a brief break from reading. He laid backwards and kept the journal open on top of his chest, bringing both arms behind his head while staring at the ceiling above him.

"Heh, she still has those stupid glow-in-the-dark stars above her bed," he commented as he spotted the Big Dipper formed closer to the center of the room. He then noticed two stars close together, lightly glowing directly above him, and he couldn't help but smile. And their initials were still there too. "Can't believe it's been almost eleven years since we put those up…," he chuckled quietly. "I'm surprised she hasn't torched mine already."

As he lifted his hand towards the ceiling, reaching towards their coupled stars, Keiko's journal fell off of his chest and onto the floor, flipping to a different page. He brought his other arm down to pick it up and frowned, forgetting where he left off. But However, instead of looking for it, his eyes caught a word, and he gulped. Worry filled his stomach, and he set forth reading the entry, needing to calm the sickening feeling in his stomach.

* * *

 **ENTRY #21**

 _ **DATE: December 25, 1992**_

 _Merry Christmas, Yusuke._

 _This month has been a hard one without you here. It's been six months since you've left, and though I knew today would come, though I knew this would be our first Christmas celebrated without you, the days leading up to now were very trying._

 _It was so hard, Yusuke, trying to decide if I should buy you a gift, or if I shouldn't bother since you're away, but after having a long, heart-felt conversation with your mother, she convinced me to buy one for you anyway because even if you're not here right now, buying your gift would help fill the void I'm always feeling._

 _There've been days where I've felt like I've been living a dream… that you're not really real… that we're not really real… You've been gone so long that you've almost become a distant memory, something I may never see or touch again…, and it kills me inside each time because I must force myself to remember that you're real. That our relationship is real…_

 _Visiting your mother, lately, has helped a little, especially when I find myself missing you the most. In her own way, she's very insightful, and though you're not in the room with us, it sometimes feels like you are…_

 _I like it when we talk in your room… She lets me stay there sometimes, when I don't want to be bothered at home… I often lie in your bed and smell your pillow because I don't want to forget anything about you, Yusuke._

 _If I'm not with Atsuko, if I'm not at school or at the diner, I'm at Genkai's; she lets me watch over Puu whenever she has to make a brief visit to town. Like your pillow, Puu smells like you, too. And he's gentle and comforting; he knows exactly what I need while you're gone (and pull your mind out of the gutter, you perv!)._

(Yusuke couldn't help but smirk; she certainly knew him well.)

 _Puu misses you, too, Yusuke. Genkai tells me he whines at night, wishing you'd come home. She doesn't think the separation between the two of you is good for him, but he seems to perk up whenever I visit (so I try to visit as often as I can)._

 _Today, I'm spending Christmas alone…_

 _Kuwabara and Shizuru are out of town, visiting family, and surprisingly, Yukina tagged along, wanting to stretch her legs and see new sights._

 _My parents are at another business meeting (big surprise!), working on more details for their future satellite franchise (or whatever), and your mother is in Hokkaido for the weekend, hoping to surprise her new boyfriend (some American instructor she met a few weeks ago, coming home from the convenience store. From what she tells me, he's a man who knows his liquor)._

 _I thought about spending the holiday with Genkai, but I didn't want to bother her too much. I've visited her temple three times in the last week; I'm sure she's getting tired of seeing me._

 _So… like I said, I bought you a gift…; it was a snow globe of New York City. A joke, really. I figured, if anybody asked me if I had a boyfriend, I'd point to the globe and say, 'Yes, actually. He sent that to me from the U.S.A.'… but on my way home from the store last night, some stranger tried to mug me, so I grabbed the only thing out of my pocket as he ran off and chucked it at his head…_

 _It wasn't until I retrieved my purse when I realized I had grabbed your gift…_

 _I hope that's not a sign of what's to come…_

 _Merry Christmas, Yusuke. I love you with all my heart._

 _But I'm wavering, Yusuke… Please come home to me. I need you._

 _Waiting is becoming almost too hard…, but I made a promise to you, and I intend on keeping it, but if you're not home after three years, I don't know if I will wait after that… I don't think I can anymore._

 _Wherever you are, I hope you are thinking of our promise, Yusuke._

 _I do every day._

 _Love always,_

 _Keiko_

* * *

Yusuke flipped past a section of pages and found the date of his sixteenth birthday, wondering what Keiko had written after a year.

* * *

 **Entry #36**

 **Date: June 29** **th** **, 1993**

 _Congratulations, Yusuke. You've officially been gone a year. And Happy Birthday, too (if you're even celebrating it)._

 _Two more years to go, you jerk._

 _I won't wait any longer. I've made my decision._

That's it? That's all she wrote?

Yusuke frowned at himself for being such an idiot. "I took Keiko for granted way too much; I need to make it up to her somehow…."

He pulled out the small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it up, wondering if she would still say yes. Sure, things between them were pretty solid since his return, but would she marry a jerk who is technically a wanted man from Spirit World? Would she be willing to take that risk?

He inhaled deeply as worry settled deep into his stomach. He didn't know what he'd do if she decided not to marry him anymore… But, would she really wait as long as she did if she wasn't still going to marry him? He flipped to another random page, and he wanted to vomit…

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

What do you think Yusuke will read in the next entry?

PLEASE review! :) They boost my confidence as a writer.


	4. Part 3

**Trigger Warning** |In Entry #51, Keiko describes being physically and sexually assaulted. In this encounter, however, she is not raped. (I just wanted to throw that out there in case it worries readers when reading this warning).

Shizuru will save the day. Please read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **PART 3**

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **Entry #51**

 _ **Date: September 8, 1993**_

 _I recently began the second half of my first year in high school, and it's getting so much harder to wait for you, Yusuke. At school, people call me the 'Ice Queen,' because I turn down every single guy who asks me out. I never give them a reason because I don't want them asking questions about my somewhat nonexistent fiancé, but they seem to be multiplying. At least once a week so far, a guy from the academy next door catches me on my way home and asks me out, but as I've said, I always say 'no.'_

 _Yesterday, a third-year male student followed me home. I probably wouldn't have minded much if my parents were home from another business trip (go figure!) since we have a public restaurant, but he didn't come into the diner until the latest hour of my shift, long after I changed into comfortable clothes and relieved Suzie (my parents' newest hired hand) from_ _ **her**_ _shift._

 _I was busy cleaning the counter when I heard a click from behind me, and I whirled around to find him standing in front of the locked door, with no intention of leaving any time soon._

 _I told him we were closed and insisted he return in the morning if he wanted something to eat, but he only chuckled and told me I was too naïve. I stayed behind the counter but moved slowly towards the phone on the wall when he began to approach softly towards me._

 _I don't know if it was panic or adrenaline or both, but in one instant, I ran the rest of the way to the telephone only to be instantly forced backwards as my hair was yanked downward, preventing me from moving on my own. My back was then slammed hard against the wall, but before I fell forwards, my attacker gripped my shoulders tightly and pinned me against the wall's cold, scratchy surface, his right knee forcefully separating my legs._

 _I was so scared, Yusuke!_

 _I tried to catch a breath, but he seized the opportunity and forced his lips on mine as he darted his tongue inside my mouth. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't cry out for help, so I did the only thing I could do to get him away from me._

 _I bit his tongue._

 _He coddled his mouth the instant my teeth stomped on his intruding appendage, and he stepped backwards with a mixture of shock and anger, swearing at me crudely before I kicked him hard between_ _ **his**_ _legs. He doubled over so I raced towards the phone, but instead of calling the police, I called the only other person I knew who would get to the diner fast enough._

 _Though Kuwabara wasn't home, Shizuru answered the phone, but before I had a chance to tell her what was going on, my assailant had regained his mobility and ended up yanking my hair backwards, causing me to yelp in pain. The phone fell from my hands, as I reached up to shield my face when he tried kissing me again. I ended up catching his face in my hands, so I pushed his head as far back as I could, but I couldn't free myself from his tight grip on my hair, so he jerked harder._

 _Unable to keep him away from me any longer, I grabbed my head, trying to ease the pain in my scalp, but I couldn't move out of the way in time before his fist struck my left eye. I've never been hit like that before in my life, and the pain paralyzed me. The next thing I knew, he had forced himself on top of me, and his heavier weight made it hard to breathe. I tried to push him off, but before I could smack him, he had grabbed my hands with one of his larger ones and pinned them above my head. I struggled underneath him, and when I tried to cry for help that time, he choked me with his tongue and then bit my lip, hard. He began ripping my shirt apart, snapping off all of its buttons before shoving my bra upwards._

 _I cried, praying for a savior, and jerked as much as I could as he tried to force down my yoga pants, doing my best to kick him in anyway possible. He managed to grip my waistband and stripped it down as far as he could. My panties, my only saving grace, clung low on my hips after being peeled partly down with my pants. I squeezed my legs together, hoping, praying doing that would make his second-to-last quest even harder, but as his hand barely slipped underneath my pantie-line, he whipped his attention towards the front part of the restaurant as what sounded like the front door busted open._

 _He cursed under his breath and scattered to his feet before kicking my side for 'calling the intruder.' He bolted, leaving me curled as I grasped the side of my stomach, struggling to breathe._

 _Before he could vanish, though, my savior found him and knocked him out, leaving him unconscious on the street for the police to pick up. I heard Shizuru's voice coming closer, but the pain in my side was too great. I ended up passing out before she could get to me, and I didn't wake up until many hours later._

 _She had carried me to my bed and stayed in my room with me over the night to make sure I would be okay. When I came to, she gave me a cup of water and after a good, long cry, she hugged me and suggested I write everything that happened to me down in case I ever wanted to come forward about the attack. She had found his ID and wrote down his name and address before tossing him like a sack of potatoes outside of the restaurant and had called the police._

 _She even said she unzipped his pants and tugged them along with his boxers down to his ankles to at least have him arrested for indecent exposure, and if the police were to ask any questions, she said she would handle it, not wanting me to worry about anything but resting._

 _Shizuru called my school for me because I didn't want to go today, and when she left to make us some breakfast, I tried to sleep but every time I would close my eyes, I would remember, and it scared me to think I could be overcome so easily. I'm so weak and stupid for letting my guard down. I should have slapped him when I had the chance…_

 _I threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, keeping to myself as Shizuru told incoming customers from downstairs to buzz off for the day._

 _I spotted my torn shirt in the trash can, and I shivered, trying to forget his cold, icy touch. When I realized what he could have taken away from me, I ran to the bathroom and retched into the toilet. I found myself hiding in the bathtub, sobbing like a blubbering baby and curling into a ball to protect myself._

 _When Shizuru found me, I had passed out again, and when I woke up, I was not home. I found myself resting against a familiar softness, and I inhaled deeply, smelling your scent. My eyes open instantly, and at first, I thought you were there with me, but my shoulders dropped when I saw Puu looking at me with concern._

 _I instantly hugged him tighter and cried my eyes out, and he wrapped himself around me as if to protect me from harm, and I never felt safer._

 _I didn't leave Puu's side for hours._

 _Yusuke, if you ever read this journal without me knowing, please don't mention this horrible memory to me. I only wrote what happened here in detail to essentially get it off my chest and maybe one day use it if I ever want to come forward about my attacker, so please do not ask me about this._

 _I'll tell you one day, I promise, when I'm ready, but not until then._

 _I don't even know if you're coming back…._

 _Maybe it's for the best if you don't… then I wouldn't feel so ashamed for what happened…._

 _But if you do come back, I hope my heart and my mind will be in a better place than they are now._

 _I love you, still._

 _Keiko._

* * *

Yusuke swallowed the thick knot in his throat as he placed down the journal, needing a moment to calm himself down. Keiko wouldn't want him to lose his temper over something she doesn't even know he knows. He gritted his teeth and wanted to punch something, _anything_ , before he did something stupid.

He was angry with himself for not being there for her.

If he hadn't been in Demon World, pursuing his own damned interests, then he could have protected her! Yusuke exhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes, needing to focus.

When he was calm again, he flipped to an entry a few pages over.

* * *

 **Entry #65**

 _ **Date: November 5, 1993**_

 _I couldn't take it anymore._

 _I cracked._

 _Every time I saw him staring at me as I left school, I grew more paranoid. Shizuru often escorted me to and from school since the attack, but today she couldn't…_

 _He confronted me again at the library (I didn't feel safe going home and thought a public setting would be better) this time, trapping me away from everyone else, pinning me against a tall bookcase._

 _This time, however, I was prepared and sprayed him with mace. I bolted away from him, nearly stumbling down the steps to the main floor and raced out the door as I knew he would be following shortly, but instead of going home, I ran straight towards the police station and begged them to help me._

 _I told them everything that happened in rambles, not sure who would listen, so one of the officers went outside and checked the perimeter, but he didn't see anyone matching that student's description. They wouldn't investigate without evidence of my attack, and of course I couldn't find the polaroid Shizuru had taken of my bulging black eye the night of my attack. I felt so defeated; that photo was the only proof I had other than my dissolving sanity._

 _That officer offered to escort me home, but I knew that would be the extent of help I would receive so I refused his offer and asked if I could borrow the office phone. He nodded, so I picked up the receiver and called Shizuru, but unlike all the other times, she didn't answer. Kuwabara, however, did and said he'd be at the station very shortly._

 _I waited impatiently for him, but he arrived as promised and escorted me home. After I fixed him a meal to thank him for his time, we bid goodbye, and I closed the shop early for the day, obviously needing some extra sleep._

 _But as I headed for the stairs, I saw a shadow extending to the bottom step, and I panicked. I raced for the phone, but as another shadow closed in on me, all I could do was cower like a weak girl, and I found myself rocking back and forth with my head between my knees, praying I was only imagining things._

 _A hand ghosted over my shoulder, and I heard by name, but I didn't register the voice as I screamed, 'GET A WAY FROM ME!' as loudly as I could._

 _The next thing I heard was my mom's cracked and worried voice saying my name. My father, who happened to be at the top of the stairs, raced down the moment he heard my plea, demanding to know what was going on._

 _I called both of my parents' names out, not truly believing they were standing there, in front of me. 'Mom? D-Dad?' And when my mom fell to her knees and reached out to me, I collapsed into her loving embrace and cried in her arms. But for whatever reason, I was too ashamed to tell them what had happened, and my father was at a loss, not knowing how to help._

 _So, they suggested therapy._

 _I have an appointment tomorrow._

* * *

Yusuke immediately flipped to the next entry.

* * *

 **Entry #66**

 _ **Date: November 6, 1993**_

 _I went to my appointment, but I didn't say a word. I withdrew inside myself, not trusting anything I might say. I was afraid I might share your whereabouts… or that my fiancé is not human… There were thousands of things I could say by accident that could send me to the psych ward, so I kept quiet._

 _I visited Genkai, Yukina and Puu afterwards, and I felt better. Puu almost wouldn't let me leave at the end of the day, and that made me smile. If only I could take him home with me; that would be the only way I'd feel safe at home again._

 _Botan was there too, that was when I told her what happened, but I begged her not to tell you. And she promised, understanding completely. Don't be mad at her, Yusuke, if you somehow find out about what happened from possibly reading this book. She was keeping a promise for a friend just as we're holding onto ours._

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

PLEASE review! :) They boost my confidence as a writer.

And remember, things will start looking up for Keiko.


	5. Part 4

**The last two chapters did not receive any reviews… Please let me know, am I wasting my time writing this story? TAT**

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **PART 4**

幽 遊 白書

* * *

Yusuke kept reading, unable to skip through more entries.

* * *

 **Entry #67**

 _ **Date: November 15, 1993**_

 _Puu took me for a ride today, and we flew across Genkai's land. It was liberating; I felt freer than I had been these past several months. Oh, Yusuke, please return soon. I need you so much._

* * *

 **Entry #68**

 _ **Date: November 21, 1993**_

 _Mom and Dad stopped their franchise project for the time being… they think it might be too soon; they're worried for me. And though I'm doing better, I'm glad they've decided to stay home for a while longer. I feel safer knowing my father is in the house._

 _I'd feel even safer once you're home…_

 _Come home, Yusuke. Please come home, soon._

* * *

 **Entry #69**

 _ **Date: December 3, 1993**_

 _It seems Kurama has returned from Demon World for the holiday, and he mentioned something about you proposing another tournament to decide the ruler of Makai._

 _I hope you lose, Yusuke._

 _I don't want you to be over there any longer than you have to be._

 _Have you found what you've been looking for? I hope so._

 _Kurama also said your ancestral father passed away; I'm sorry about that. Truly, I am. I know you've never been close to your biological father when we were young kids, especially after the way he'd treat your mother, so I hope your ancestral dad was a much better father than your real one._

 _Since this tournament seems to be something you can't back out of, whatever you do, don't die. I can't marry a dead man._

* * *

 **Entry #70**

 _ **Date: December 25, 1993**_

 _Merry Christmas, you jerk._

 _Your gift would have been a kiss, but since I can't send that with Kurama to give to you, it's your loss._

…

 _I miss you._

* * *

 **Entry #71**

 _ **Date: January, 1, 1994 (12:01 a.m.)**_

 _You missed your New Year's kiss, you moron._

 _I gave it to Puu instead (again, get your damn head out of the gutter if you're reading this, you perv)._

 _It's been about a year and a half since you've left. We're halfway through, and I don't know how much longer I can wait. So much has happened since you've been away. I'm tired of talking to you through this journal. I want to hear your voice. I want to see your smile. I want to kiss that stupid face of yours after I smack it with my hand for leaving me for so damn long! But most of all, I want to hold you, embrace you as I would have multiple times this past year and a half. Please don't make me wait too much longer, Yusuke._

 _It's too hard._

* * *

 **Entry #72**

 _ **Date: January 10, 1994**_

 _I masturbated for the first time in my life, wondering what it might feel like with your fingers instead of mine. Don't make me wait too much longer in finding out…_

 _Just wondering… do you have the same fantasies while you're away? Do you ever wonder how it might feel with my mouth in place of your hand?_

 _I do._

Yusuke gulped as he read the previous line then released a low groan as his pants suddenly grew tighter. He reluctantly unzipped his jeans to relieve some of the tension, but it didn't help much. However, he wouldn't dare rid himself of his johns or even touch himself while Keiko's parents were downstairs feeding customers. The last thing he needed was for her father to find him desecrating her precious bedroom (and with Keiko not around to live out what she had written), he knew he was going to be hurting either way.

So, he placed the journal down on top of Keiko's blue pillow and headed for the bathroom to relieve himself of his current dilemma because, well, at least if he was caught making groaning noises, he could lie and say it was constipation.

But before he left the bedroom, he realized his mission would be a waste if she happened to write more naughty things down, so he backstepped towards the bed, grabbed the journal and slipped into her bathroom. He locked the door and unbuckled his jeans, but before he did anything further, he flipped to the next entry, curious of what it had to say.

* * *

 **Entry #73**

 _ **Date: January 31, 1994**_

 _My friends don't know I am supposedly engaged to some dumbass jerk so they set me up on a blind date for my 16_ _th_ _birthday (which, by the way, was a pretty awful day in retrospect) with the smartest student at Daichi's Academy for Boys, and after our blindsided dinner, he asked me out._

(Annnd as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Yusuke's head, his current problem below resolved quickly as if he had completely forgotten about Keiko's previous entry. Now all he wanted to do was continue reading in case he had to add another name on his hitlist.)

 _While my friends were encouraging me to say yes (as they were sitting a few tables across from us, listening to every word), I bowed my head toward Daisuke and turned him down as I have turned down every guy before him. Thankfully, he didn't melt down or demand me to change my mind like the others; he simply smiled, nodded and whispered, 'He must be a lucky guy." To which, I responded, 'No. I'm the lucky one.'_

 _And I meant every word, Yusuke. I know I can be annoying at times…, and I've always nagged you when you didn't want to go to school… I know you've always been boring with the way I look (since you had a habit of complaining about how much baby fat I still had on my face and my ass), but for some reason, you still stayed by my side when there were tons of other prettier girls for you to be with._

 _It always baffled me, and when we were younger, I was always afraid you'd prefer to chase after girls like Sayuri, but you didn't. And even after I would punish you for flipping my skirt or squeezing my chest or even touching my butt, you still found a reason to stick around._

 _In about six more months, it'll be two years since you left._

 _I hope you find your reason to come back…_

 _And make sure it's a damned good one because once you've returned, I'm not going to let you out of my sight._

 _That's a promise._

"You're insane, Keiko," Yusuke mumbled to himself as he wondered back over to Keiko's bed and sat down again. "I always thought you were smokin' hot."

He crossed his legs together and leaned forward a bit, completely engrossed by Keiko's journal. He flipped to the next page, dying to know more.

* * *

 **Entry #74**

 _ **Date: February 14, 1994**_

 _Happy Valentine's Day, you idiot._

 _I bought a box of chocolates for you and gave them to your mother since you weren't here to receive them. She promised to put them out of their misery, so they wouldn't have to wait for your sorry ass to return to be eaten._

 _I spent a few hours with Atsuko, and we shared embarrassing stories about you. And yes, your mom now knows about the time you crash-landed into Kuwabara on your way to class only to find your face had landed right between his legs. Not only does she know that, but she also knows how your hair was caught in the zipper of Kuwabara's pants, imprisoning both of you to social suicide had I not found you in the hallway, entangled together._

 _I never laughed so hard as I told her the story, recalling that I had to cut some of your hair off with my fingernail clippers in order to free you from complete and total humiliation. Imagine how the class would view the Great Urameshi if anybody besides me had seen the two of you! (It's a good laugh, Yusuke. But I think Kuwabara still cringes from the memory when I last brought it up. Poor guy; you mentally scarred him that day. I heard he skipped the rest of the school day; the only reason you didn't was because you were at my mercy for saving you._

 _That was the promise you made, remember? You said you'd attend every single class for the whole week if I helped you. Thinking back, I should have rewarded you for keeping your promise (as much as you could since Koenma needed you on the last day of the school week for an urgent case). Oh well._

 _Oh yeah, I also might have accidentally told her about the time you spilled Silver Nitrate on your crotch in chemistry class. If she ever asks you about it, that's why. By the way, just curious, how long did it take before the dark stain on your skin to fade? A few weeks? Months?_

(Yusuke laughed at the memory, not really caring that his mother now knew about that stupid mistake of his. Yes, he had a dark blue dick for several weeks (which was why he tried to avoid going into public restrooms when the stain was still present), but he was more amused by the fact that Keiko was curious about the whole ordeal. She was his lab partner, and of course, after she told him not to fool around with the tools, he accidentally bumped the beaker of Silver Nitrate in her hands and ended up spill most if not all of its contents all over his crotch as a result. As Keiko cleaned up the mess on the floor, Yusuke was instructed by the teacher to go to the restroom and rinse as much of the chemical off himself. Well, he certainly tried, but it was too late, the chemical was already making itself comfortable between his legs, and there was not a damned thing he could do about it. Thankfully, it had faded over time, but yeah, that month of sporting a dark blue, frickin' smurf between his legs was not something he typically bragged about.

"Just wait until our rehearsal dinner, babe," he smirked to himself. "I'll tell the whole damn audience how you dived into one of the city pools to save a kid from drowning, only to be rewarded with your bikini top floating away." He chuckled lightly, remembering how mortified she was when Yusuke had swum up to her, holding her top in his hands with the biggest smirk slapped on his face. Of course, he seemed like the guilty party with how he was grinning, and she had pinned her bikini top to her chest before sending him backwards with a loud smack, but hell, the quick peek he had received of her perky tits was well worth it in the end (even if he actually wasn't the one at fault that time).

The years, if Yusuke was being honest, had definitely been kind to Keiko's figure, that's for sure. Perhaps _too_ kind, but hell, he wasn't complaining.)

 _A little secret?_

 _After you left to wash as much of the chemical off as you could, some that had spilled on the counter dripped down into my shirt, trailing a long drop between my breasts. But unlike you, I didn't notice it, and when I came home to take my shower, I found the stain between my boobs. It didn't fade off until many weeks later (which is why I never wore lowcut anything that semester) (Not that I would…). You and I are more alike than we give ourselves credit for._

 _After visiting with your mother, I took the train to Genkai's and spent the afternoon with Puu. I even gave him a scarf for Valentine's Day in your stead. Silly, right? Well, if you want a scarf when you come home, you can fight him for it. But since Puu will probably be upset with you for being gone so long, he might not let you have it. Besides, I don't think pink is your style, anyway. ~.o_

 _Oh, I forgot to tell you… I'm visiting America for a Model UN conference. Too bad you're not going to be there; Atsuko thinks I might see you while I'm there. If only she knew where you really were._

…

 _Don't forget, Yusuke. You promised three years, and my patience is wearing thin._

 _You better not die over there, you hear me?_

 _I love you, always._

"Puu can have the scarf for all I care," Yusuke scoffed a little but then grinned. "After all, I've got the girl."

* * *

He flipped through the pages of the journal, wondering how many more entries were left since he had about an hour left before he promised to eat lunch with Keiko on the rooftop of her school. Only counting four, he decided to continue, figuring he could finish all of them and still make it to the rooftop on time.

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

I'm serious about reviewing… I'm to the point where I feel like this story isn't enjoyable since nobody has reviewed the last two chapters. I really enjoyed writing this story, but if it's not something you like reading, I need to know so that I don't waste my time writing more to a story no one wants to read. :(


	6. Part 5

**WARNING:** This chapter has sexual content. Discretion is advised.

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **PART 5**

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **Entry #75**

 _ **Date: March 14, 2018**_

 _Today is White Day, and as your present to me, Atsuko gave me most of the money she's been saving for you to go to college (which is surprisingly a generous amount) and told me to do whatever I wanted with it since I would be the breadwinner of our future family (that is, if you're still planning on coming home)._

 _So I ended up investing most of the sum into my college savings and used a small portion of it to splurge a little since I barely have time to shop these days._

 _By the way, aside from the significant boost in my college fund, your other gift to me was a dildo. ;)_

(Yusuke choked on his spit, and his eyes grew wide. Say what?!)

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Just kidding._

 _You know I would never buy something like that, especially with money your mother gave me._

 _I'm not_ _ **that**_ _desperate for you, you perv._

(Oh. Okay. "Well played, Keiko. Well played." Yusuke, annoyed, murmured as he felt his pants grow a little tight again. The mere thought of Keiko with a dildo just didn't make sense in his mind; she was never that sort of girl (but a lot has changed since he was away so maybe she grew up in more ways than he realized.)

But to be honest, if she did happen to own a dildo, Yusuke would certainly like to know where it was so that he can get rid of it and tell her she didn't need one anymore. If she wanted to fuck with a toy, she might as well fuck him, right?

He let out a chuckle.

She would smack him to Kingdom Come if he ever imposed himself on her like that. And besides, through recent experience, he was so much better than a damned toy. The way Keiko exhaled his name and clung to him as she trembled in pure ecstasy the night before last was proof of that. No dildo could make Keiko unravel and release like he could; he knew exactly what to do to drive her over the edge, and he was very proud of that fact.

Yusuke smirked and continued reading, making a mental note to raid Keiko's underwear drawer later to see just what naughty things she might be hiding from him.)

 _I actually bought a simple jewelry set I've been eyeing for a while now. So, thank you, Yusuke. I'll wear my new jewelry every day. :)_

 _By the way, Yusuke, if you even dare search my bedroom for naughty things after reading this, I'll murder you in your sleep._

 _You have been warned._

* * *

 **Entry #76**

 _ **Date: March 28, 2018**_

 _I was with a group of friends, and we all bought vibrators. I was peer pressured into it, and the box has been staring at me for the last hour. I'm afraid to try it…_

 _But I secretly want to find out what it feels like._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _ **EDIT:**_ _I finally caved and tried it after my parents went to bed. It was a little weird and tingly at first, and after a few moments, I felt like tiny electrodes were pulsing through me from down below, but overall, it wasn't all too unpleasant. I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep myself quiet a few times. Maybe the next time I use it will feel less weird._

 _I feel so naughty after using it though._

 _But maybe I've been secretly naughty for a while, now. I blame you, Yusuke. After all, with you gone, I have to get pretty creative in my mind for me to be in a mood to even use that… that thing._

 _I can't wait until you come back Yusuke._

 _The vibrator's nice for now, I guess, but I'm starting to get horny, Yusuke (and this is me, I'm talking about. Me)._

 _I don't want to use toys forever; I want the real thing._

 _So, don't make me wait for too much longer._

 _I want you. 3_

* * *

Yusuke couldn't help it; his hand had slipped inside his jeans and was now rubbing his dick, wishing Keiko was around to relieve the tension he felt.

He remembered back on the first night he came back from Makai, and once they had entered his apartment, it took everything Yusuke had not to rip Keiko's clothes off and claim her right then and there.

Keiko, however, didn't have any patience and surprised the shit out of him when she pounced him. That time, however, she did not knock him over like she did on the police. Her thighs had wrapped tightly around his hips with her center pressing hard against his responding member. He had grabbed her ass and squeezed, delighted with how she didn't slap him in response. He had wanted to feel the curve of her butt for years, and finally, she was granting him the chance to not only do that, but so much more.

Her wet blouse had been the first to go, along with her bra after he had removed his shirt. He had gently tossed her onto the bed and climbed over her, his lips kissing her furiously as his palms cupped her breasts gently. When he had softly squeezed the beautiful, perky pair, Keiko had let out a squeak, causing both of them to laugh.

He then seized the opportunity to tell her he loved her and that she was beautiful. Bashful Keiko blushed deeply as her arms strung around his neck, and she mumbled her love for him as she tugged him back down to kiss her.

And then the rest naturally followed.

They were a tangle of naked limbs by midmorning, with Yusuke waking up first. He had let his love continue to sleep as he watched her chest rise and fall slowly, loving how her sweaty hair was strewn about her shoulders, clinging to her moist skin. They were both in a blissful disseray, and he had no intention of combing the disaster that was his hair because for all he was concerned, his little vixen could be ready for the next round the moment she opened eyes.

But as his luck would have it, when Keiko did finally wake up, she was too achy for another round and needed some time to recuperate from the previous night. But Yusuke had another idea and had slid down her body and carefully spread her legs further apart before soothing the aches below with his tongue.

He had lapped around her opening slowly, coaxing her body to respond, and hot damn, did it respond quickly. She was wet almost instantly, and it was obvious, she wasn't completely ready to end their first night of loving.

Gently, he had stroked her center with his finger, ghosting the tip over the bundle of nerves hidden within her sodden folds. A delightful moan had then escaped from his lover's lips as she arched her back upward in response to his pleasant ministrations.

Making love to Keiko had been everything he ever imagined and so much more. There had been a few times, in the more intense moments between them, when Yusuke had to stop and take a moment to control the Mazoku blood within him before continuing, and at first, he thought he had upset Keiko for abruptly pausing, but he didn't have to tell her why he needed to slow down a little. She had understood immediately and instead of pushing away for fear of him, she embraced him and kissed his forehead, letting him know it was all right and to take the time he needed to compose himself.

And when he had believed he was ready to continue, he shifted a little and slowly began moving again as she gently brought his lips to hers.

Keiko, in every facet, knew Yusuke inside and out. He often wondered if they were connected in a spiritual sense since she always seemed to know what he needed.

They had made love fairly frequently since their first night, sneaking around their parents' like the naughty, hormonal teenagers they knew they were, and Yusuke was quite proud of the fact that Keiko often had to struggle to keep herself quiet anytime they dared to make love while her parents were home (or while his mother was home if they were at his place). He always imagined her to be a quiet lover, but damn, was he certainly wrong. Hearing Keiko whimper his name and beg for him to bring her even higher always brought him over the edge.

What can he say? He and Keiko were very well-fucked, and call him horny, but he was aching for her so badly. Knowing there was no way for him to satiate his desire any time soon (because Keiko was very adamant about _not_ having sex in public), he placed the journal down on her bed as he got up and made his way to the bathroom, knowing not even knowledge of Keiko's suitors would be able to calm his little demon down this time.

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

Thank you to those who commented on my story thus far! They mean a lot! ^_^


	7. Part 6

**WF001: I apologize for the delay. I've been sick this past week, and tonight is the first time I feel well enough to post. I still have some work to do on the epilogue so that might take a couple more days before posting, but please enjoy this new update.**

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **PART 6**

幽 遊 白書

After jerking himself off in Keiko's bathroom (and then cleaning up the evidence), he flushed the toilet, washed his hands and felt so much better. As he walked out of her bathroom, he froze when he saw Keiko's father standing in his fiancée's bedroom. Clearing his throat, he quietly said, "Is there something you need, Mr. Yukimura?"

"I came to check on you; I heard… grunting, and my wife insisted I come up here to see if you're okay." Mr. Yukimura answered rather awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh. That. I was, you know, constipated." Yusuke lied through his teeth, slightly mortified, wondering if the father of his lover believed him or not. "B-But I feel much better now!" He forced a laugh. "I hope you didn't mind me coming up here to relax a little. I don't have much to do during the day, these days."

"Yusuke…," Mr. Yukimura sighed as he closed the door behind him, "I'm not an idiot. I know those sounds weren't actually from constipation. You might fool my wife, but not me. After all, I was once your age many years ago. I know _all_ the tricks of the book."

 _Well, shit._ Yusuke was too embarrassed to say anything, so he kept quiet.

"I know you and my daughter will be getting married one day but be honest with me." Mr. Yukimura crossed his arms and gave Yusuke the _father of your girlfriend/fiancée_ look. Yusuke pursed his lips and did not like where this conversation was going. "Are you and my daughter sexually active?"

Yusuke cringed and, for whatever reason, was about to answer, but Mr. Yukimura shook held out his hand and shook his head swiftly, saying, "Wait. Don't answer that. I don't want to know."

Yusuke's relief was palpable, and if Mr. Yukimura was as smart as he said he was, then Yusuke knew he had just silently confirmed the man's suspicion. But if Mr. Yukimura caught onto Yusuke's sigh, he didn't show it.

"To be honest, if you are intimate, I can't say I'm surprised," the father added, causing Yusuke's brow to tick upward. "When you left, Keiko went through some very rough times, I'm sure you know. And if you don't, don't pry anything out of her; let her tell you in her own time when she's ready. When things started getting better for her, her mother and I could tell she was pining for you. I often caught her looking out the window towards the sky, sighing deeply as she waited for you to return, and a few months ago, before you came back, I walked by her room late one night and heard her crying, quietly begging you to come home.

"Though I've always loved you like a son, Yusuke, I wanted to punch you in the face for making my daughter cry; I think she was almost to her breaking point. After that night, I was determined to tell her to give up, that you weren't worth it anymore, but my wife stopped me and reminded me that Keiko was a head-strong girl, and that we shouldn't intervene. If we had told her to give up, then she might have given up too soon, and then where would we be?

"It was hard, Yusuke, watching my daughter slowly crumble as she waited for you, but I'm glad you're back. She's happier than ever, and I'm sure you're the main reason for her more recent smiles." Mr. Yukimura offered Yusuke a small grin. "But if you ever leave her again like you did before, I'll personally hunt you down and shove my butcher knife through your heart. That's a promise."

Yusuke felt a sweatdrop fall down the side of his face, knowing Mr. Yukimura wasn't kidding. "You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Yukimura," Yusuke's voice wavered a little, "I would never hurt Keiko intentionally and definitely do not plan to leave her ever again. Wherever I go, she goes with me, and vice versa." Yusuke tucked his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, waving it in the air. He grinned proudly, knowing exactly how he's going to officially propose. "That's a promise."

"You know you've always had our blessing, son," Mr. Yukimura smiled softly. "And I have no doubt that you'll make Keiko a very happy woman."

"Thanks," Yusuke smirked, sliding the little box back into his pocket. "I'm lucky to have her."

Mr. Yukimura gave Yusuke a thumb's up and then opened the door, but before leaving, he asked, "You said you don't have much else to do lately, correct?"

"Yeah," Yusuke nodded. "All my friends are either going to school or are currently unreachable. My education is a bust so I've just been doing some good ole R&R until I figure my life out."

Mr. Yukimura grinned. "Need a job?"

"You hiring?"

"My wife and I have been wanting to expand our business for a while now, and we think it might be too soon for a full franchise, so we were thinking about opening up a satellite location somewhere downtown. It's not a restaurant like the diner, but just a small ramen stand suitable for one employee, and we need someone to run it. You can cook ramen, right?"

"Puh-lease," Yusuke chuckled, "I was born a ramen chef. Who do you think made most of my meals when I was growing up? Certainly not my lush of a mom, that's for sure."

"Be kind about your mother. She's the only one you've got." the older man reprimanded, to which Yusuke shrunk a little and nodded quietly. Then, Mr. Yukimura gave Yusuke a lopsided smile. "You think you're up for the job?"

"Hell yeah!" Yusuke exclaimed a little too loudly. "I mean, sure. When do I start?"

"Monday." His future father-in-law replied almost instantly. "Whether you can cook or not, we're going to train you anyway so after you walk Keiko to school, come back to the diner, and we'll start your culinary training. And don't worry, you'll be paid generously so that you can start saving for your future with my daughter."

"I'm…," Yusuke really didn't know what to say. Keiko's parents have always been incredibly generous towards him and his mother and offering him a job is like the icing on a cake. Very few people have ever seen potential in Yusuke Urameshi, and even fewer have ever given him a chance. Mr. Yukimura was the closest person to a father he had ever known, and the man's generosity was almost too overwhelming. This was a golden opportunity Yusuke wasn't going to throw away. "Thank you. Thank you very much, sir."

Yusuke felt Mr. Yukimura's palm pat him on the shoulder. "You've grown so much since you left two years ago. You're a good man, Yusuke, and you've always been a part of this family, I hope you know that."

Yusuke nodded with a warm smile coloring his lips. "I do. Your family, especially Keiko, means a lot to me. And I promise I'll take care of her."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Mr. Yukimura smirked and shook Yusuke's hand before leaving and closing the bedroom door behind him. Yusuke, still reeling after the last few minutes, found himself wandering back over to the bed. "Well, damn. I've got a job." He couldn't wait to tell Keiko!

Mindlessly, Yusuke reached for the journal and flipped it back open to the second to last entry.

* * *

 **Entry #76**

 _ **Date: May 24, 1994**_

 _I haven't been writing much lately because I've been busy with school. And I've been somewhat angry at you for taking so damn long to get back here. Kurama came back sometime last week, but you're not here. Where are you, Yusuke? What could you possibly have left to do?_

 _The other day, I bumped into Kurama on the train while on my way to Genkai's (which, coincidentally, that was where he was headed, too), and when I asked him about you, he wouldn't give me a direct answer. All he said was that you hadn't finished business over there. Again, what else is there?!_

 _I've waited for almost two years, and I'm told everything has been pretty much settled over there in Demon World so where the hell are you? Am I just a ghost to you now? Do I not matter anymore? Do_ _ **we**_ _not matter?!_

 _I don't think I can survive another year of waiting, Yusuke. I'm almost at my limit, so you better get your ass back here as soon as possible because I won't give you much longer._

 _Many years ago, I told you I would wait forever when you had died and were waiting to get your body back. I told myself the same thing when you left almost two years ago, but you know what? I realized that both situations are completely different, and this one is so much worse!_

 _Three years ago, you were dead, but you promised you'll be back. I had no choice but to wait and watch over your body, and I know I would have stood by my words because there was always hope, Yusuke. The fact that your body felt warm to the touch and that your heart was beating meant you were fighting to return to life… to me…._

 _But… this time, you're alive and in another world, and according to Kurama, there's nothing virtually stopping you from returning, yet it doesn't seem like your fighting to come back anymore. Maybe you like it over there better. Maybe being here… being with me… was too boring for you._

… _Was I too boring for you, Yusuke?_

… _Was I not enough?_

 _I want to hate you, Yusuke, for causing me so much grief and pain and making me feel so unworthy and insecure. You are the reason I can't help but cry when I'm alone, and I'm tired of my heart hurting, Yusuke. I'm tired of putting on a façade and pretending everything is okay between us because, let's face it, it's obvious you care more about your life over there than here._

 _But… I can't hate you, Yusuke._

 _It's not a capability I could ever possess._

 _You are my heart; you always have been._

 _But am I yours?_

…

 _I love you, Yusuke._

 _That will never change._

* * *

Yusuke inhaled deeply before wiping away a stray tear that had fallen from his eye. "Damn, Keiko," he sniffed quietly, "Why d'ya always hafta be so damn sentimental?"

He wanted to hate himself too for breaking Keiko's heart so many times.

She was the love of his life, and he treated her poorly for it.

Knowing what he now needed to do, he flipped the page to a fresh one and walked over to Keiko's desk. After grabbing a pen, he scribbled a message down on the neatly lined paper and went off to look for some tape before leaving to meet Keiko.

幽 遊 白書

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

 **PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

 **Also, just so you know, I have two other ideas for YusKei in store for the future. One will be a one shot and the other will be an AU chapter story that I just thought of today and am really excited about. I'm actually thinking about posting the first chapter soon to engage (hopefully more) readers. The AU will be rated M so if you want to read it when it comes out, be sure to have that "M" filter off on FFN. The one-shot will most likely be rated T.**

 **So be on the lookout for a one-shot called "Don't Forget Me" and an AU entitled "Captives" in the near future. :)**


	8. Epilogue

**For clarification for this chapter: Yusuke has been back about six weeks, give or take.**

 **YAY IT IS THE FINAL PIECE! :) ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Dear My Beloved**

 **EPILOGUE**

幽 遊 白書

* * *

"Hey."

"Hi."

Yusuke was technically not allowed on the rooftop of Keiko's high school since he was a boy, but when was he ever a law-abiding citizen? When no one was looking, he had tapped into a small amount of his demonic energy and scaled the school building, landing on the rooftop just as Keiko had arrived.

"You sure no one else comes up here?" Yusuke asked quietly as if his male voice could echo throughout the school if he so much as spoke above a whisper.

"I'm the only one who eats up here, trust me." Keiko nodded as she smoothed her skirt down over her bottom before sitting down against the wall of the exit. She carefully unloaded her bento as Yusuke popped a squat next to her, placing his shoulder bag down behind him, and before she could take a bite of her sushi, Yusuke swiftly chomped onto the small morsel between her chopsticks and grinned, his cheeks fat with really good food.

"Hey!" Keiko swatted his shoulder. "That was mine!"

Yusuke arched an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, the other night when we were getting all hot and heavy, you told me what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine."

"I didn't mean food, Yusuke." She smacked his hand with her chopsticks as he reached for another shrimp. "I meant in a more… romantic sense."

"Well, I forgot my lunch," the former spirit detective shrugged, "I figured you wouldn't mind sharing since you always seem to pack for two anyway."

"Fine," Keiko relented and rolled her eyes when he pulled out his personal pair of chopsticks. "Just don't take all of it. Save some for me."

Yusuke grinned as he plucked another sushi roll from her lunch and said, "By the way," he then stuffed his mouth with rice, "Your father gave me a job today."

"Really?!" Keiko exclaimed, grinning ear to ear as she gave Yusuke a kiss on the cheek. "That's so wonderful! Are they wanting you to run the Ramen Stand?"

He nodded, grinning himself. "I start training on Monday."

"That's amazing!" Keiko rewarded Yusuke with a swift kiss on his lips. "I'm so proud of you!" She moved her bento to the ground next to her and lunged towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

Yusuke pressed a kiss against her cheek just before they released and said, "Be honest, Keiko. You're not embarrassed, are you? I mean, most guys have penguin-suit kind of jobs to support their family, and because I was an idiot who only knew how to fight, I ruined any chance of getting a good-paying job. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, you're not ashamed that you're going to be the breadwinner of our family once we're married?"

Keiko smiled softly and took Yusuke's hands in hers before gently caressing them. "Yusuke, I've known you my whole life, and I've known for a very long time that our lives would never be normal like other families, and I'm totally okay with that. There are tons of women who provide for their families all the time! And besides, my parents own a restaurant so I'm not at all ashamed that you're going to be working at a Ramen Stand.

"My father started his restaurant the same way, and who knows, maybe in ten or so years, you and I could take over the Yukimura Diner one day. And besides," she plopped a steamed carrot into her mouth, "not a lot of people are experts in the paranormal, and since demons are going to be running amuck in the human world, you might as well be the go-to guy for those sorts of things. You might not be the Spirit Detective anymore, but I'm sure Koenma wouldn't mind the help every once in a while."

"Hmmm," Yusuke didn't think of that, "You do have a good point. I never did get paid by Pacifier Breath, but I guess I could charge by the client and do a little detective work on the side. Beats doing detective work pro bono."

"Definitely," Keiko agreed. She reached down for another clump of rice, but suddenly, she wasn't in the mood to eat anymore. She pushed the bento towards Yusuke and said, "Here. Help yourself."

"You don't want it anymore?" Yusuke cocked an eyebrow, thinking it was some sort of trap.

"No," she shook her head and leaned back againt the wall again, "I'm not really all that hungry anymore."

"Are you… feeling okay? You're not sick, or anything, are you?" Yusuke brought his palm to her forehead, but she swatted it away.

"I'm fine, Yusuke. I feel fine. I'm just not as hungry as I thought." She replied swiftly, slightly snapping at him. Her shoulders then dropped, and she sighed as she reached for his hand again. "I'm sorry, Yusuke. That was uncalled for."

"It's okay," He squeezed her hand and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm just glad you're not sick or anything."

"I promise, if I'm sick or anything, you will be the first to know." Keiko replied with a tiny grin, to which he nodded in response.

Yusuke took a few more bites out of the bento and placed it to the side before reaching into his sack behind him. He pulled out the journal he found and decided now was a good time as any to present it.

"So…," Yusuke kept the book hidden and slipped underneath his leg so she wouldn't see it yet before continuing. "I took a nap on your bed today while I waited to come back."

"Oh yeah? Did you sleep well?"

"Well, no. I couldn't. You know me, I hate waiting." Yusuke chuckled but then blanched, remembering that Keiko's father (and maybe her mother too, by now) know they're having sex. He decided he wasn't going to share that information just yet; that could wait for another day. "Anyway," he shook his head, "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Is… Is something wrong?" Keiko curled a loose strand behind her ear and smoothed down her skirt as if she was preparing for something that will cause her heart to break. Yusuke couldn't blame her; the last time he said something along those lines, he told her he was leaving and would be gone for up to three years. To ease her heart, he took her hand in his and gently squeezed it.

"Of course not." It was then that Yusuke revealed Keiko's journal, and her eyes grew wide, and her cheeks flushed. She appeared alarmed and then angry. Quickly, Yusuke explained himself. "Now before you get pissy with me, I did not go snooping for this, I swear. All I was going to do was hack into your computer to play some video games or something, and when I sat down on your chair, your pen dropped on the floor underneath the desk so I went to pick it up. That's when I bumped my head on the keyboard drawer, and next thing I know, the journal was on the floor, open to one of the pages."

"And you read it?!"

Without saying anything, Yusuke nodded, cringing from her outburst.

Keiko whipped her hand away and snatched the journal away from him. "Yusuke, that was private!" She hugged the book to her chest as if to protect all of her insecurities as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Woah now! Don't cry!" Yusuke waved his hand in front of her as if it would stop all of her tears from falling. "I'm an ass, I know, but I couldn't help myself. The letters were addressed to me, what do you expect?" He tried to remain as calm as possible, not wanting to make her any angrier.

"I expect you to respect my privacy," Keiko retorted, completely refusing to look at him.

"If I had written a collection of letters labeled "Dear Keiko," would you have ignored them?" Yusuke asked, frowning. "I mean, okay, yes, obviously you had that book hidden for a reason, but come on, Keiko, when I saw my name and then read the last entry, how could I not read the rest of it?"

Keiko rose to her feet and picked up her bag before stuffing the journal inside. "I have to get back to class. We'll talk about this later."

Without so much as a goodbye, Keiko quietly left the rooftop with an icy shoulder, leaving Yusuke there alone, feeling dejected.

幽 遊 白書

Keiko composed herself for the remainder of her classes and was slightly disappointed when Yusuke didn't show up at the gate. Though she was really upset with Yusuke for invading her privacy, she eventually realized she couldn't really blame him. Not once since his return has she shared what's happened during his absence (and with good reason), when he's told her everything.

And he was right.

If she had found a journal in his room addressed to her, she would feel inclined to read it as well.

Knowing exactly where he would be, she made her way to the playground they used to play at when they were kids. Just as expected, she spotted Yusuke slowly rocking himself on a swing at the swing set, looking at the sky, deep in thought. Without a word, she set her bag down on the ground behind the swing next to him and smoothed down her skirt as she quietly took a seat.

"Hi," was all she could say at the moment as she watched him slow his swing down to an almost complete stop.

His eyes flickered towards hers, and he nodded in her direction, but he didn't say anything. She expected as much. A deafening silence passed between them and the wind blew Keiko's hair behind her face, but eventually, both turned towards each other and simultaneously muttered apologies. Keiko bit her lip and lightly smiled as Yusuke chuckled a little. "You first," he offered as he stood up from his swing and walked over to her before extending his hand. Gently, she placed her palm in his, and he helped her to her feet. He walked over to Keiko's bag, picked it up and handed it to her before tugging her away from the swingset. "Let's walk around the park," he suggested, and Keiko nodded as she followed.

Yusuke looked down at their conjoined hands and as his eyes met Keiko's, he slowly entwined their fingers together and brought her closer to his side. Keiko flushed deeply but smiled shyly before resting her cheek against his arm. She hugged his elbow with her other palm to make herself more comfortable.

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did…," Keiko began, Suddenly finding the ground interesting, too upset with herself for the way she handled their last conversation. "I was just… embarrassed… incredibly embarrassed that you had found that…. And to be honest, I wasn't going to share it with you until many years after we married, because, well, I was ashamed of it…"

"Why?" Yusuke asked softly to which she gently smiled.

"That journal is filled with so many dark secrets and insecurities I didn't want to face again… If you want full honesty, it wasn't easy waiting for you to come home… There were times I wanted to forget our promise for one day… to feel free from it… but then even if I gave up for one day, I realized I'd still be breaking our promise, and that, alone, was as equally bad as giving up.

"I used that journal as an accountability partner in a way; I figured if I write down everything I did as many days as I could, then in hindsight, I could be true to our promise without breaking it. But the more I would write, the more I realized I would even write the deeper and darker things… things I would never tell my parents or my friends… things I was embarrassed about…

"There were times I often felt like I was failing you, and I didn't want to share that journal with you because I didn't want you to realize your girlfriend slash fiancée was wavering…" Keiko inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly. "I… didn't want you to realize how different I've become since you left. I wanted you to think I was still that goody-two shoes, innocent girl who loved school because that's the person you fell in love with. The thing is," she paused and blinked away her tears, "I don't think I could ever go back to being the girl you left behind, Yusuke. And lately, I worry that you loved that past version of me more than the me now."

Yusuke gently squeezed Keiko's hand. "Keiko," he gave her a soft smile, "when I saw you on the beach the first time I came back, I knew instantly that both of us were different people. Aside from physical differences, we've both been through some pretty rough things that have impacted who we are now. Though, at the time, I didn't know all of the things you went through while I was gone, I could tell you had gone through a lot even without me reading your journal. We both have." He took the opportunity to stop walking for a moment and spun around until he was directly in front of Keiko. His free hand caressed Keiko's cheek, and he added with a smirk,

"I girl I left behind was Keiko Yukimura, and last time I checked, you're still her." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly. "I didn't fall in love with an idea, I fell in love with you. _Only_ you. Plus," he couldn't help himself and snickered, "knowing you have somewhat of a dark side is pretty damn hot."

Keiko lightly smacked him in the arm and rolled her eyes. "You're such a dork," she giggled as the back of her free hand tried to hide her quiet laughs. "But I get your point," Keiko beamed and squeezed Yusuke's fingers. "To be honest," she blushed a little, "when you told me you were a demon, I've never felt more turned on than I did in that moment even if I didn't show it. My boyfriend, the demon; it wasn't something said every day, which made me eager what all your physical changes might have meant…"

"Rawr," Yusuke growled as he playfully pawed Keiko's cheek. Keiko cocked an eyebrow towards him, and he chuckled a bit. She couldn't help but grin before pecking him on the cheek.

"Goofball," she whispered into his ear as she took a seat down on a bench overseeing the river below. Yusuke took a seat next to her and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. Keiko lightly pressed her head against Yusuke's breastbone and closed her eyes before asking him the question she could no longer avoid. "Do you have anything you want to ask about what I've written?"

Yusuke, to her surprise, turned her question around and instead, asked, "Is there anything you want to share?"

Keiko lifted her head slightly and turned her attention towards him, her eyes wide with questions.

"What?" He asked softly, love only in his gaze.

She then smiled and shook her head, grateful he was willing to listen to whatever she was willing to share instead of forcing her to speak about things she didn't want to remember… "Nothing," she closed her eyes again and leaned against him before saying, "I never stopped loving you, I hope you know that."

"I do," he nodded, never doubting her feelings for a second.

"… If you're wondering…," she carefully continued, "the guy… my attacker… he was never convicted."

This bit of information surprised Yusuke. "What?"

"You read that part, right?" Keiko was suddenly panicking, thinking she had said something too personal… something he didn't know about, but when he nodded slightly, she sighed with relief, thankful she wouldn't have to tell him what had happened. Instead, she said, "I never did tell the authorities what happened… I was too scared… I heard he ended up raping a different girl from another school, two years younger than me…, and though he was arrested afterwards, she refused to come forward in the end, so he ended up walking…."

Keiko opened her eyes and stared at the grass, suddenly finding a little white butterfly very interesting. "I can't help but wonder if it's my fault she was raped. If I hadn't said anything sooner, then nothing would have happened to her."

"There's no way of knowing what would've happened," Yusuke frowned, slowly rubbing Keiko's back in soothing circles. "So, don't blame yourself, Keiko."

Keiko inhaled a deep breath and leaned forward, suddenly feeling a little nauseous. She rested her elbows on top of her knees and let out a long breath of air to calm her stomach. When the sickening feeling passed, Keiko eventually asked, "Will you do me a favor?"

"Anything," he was quick to respond.

Keiko clenched her fists tightly. "Kick that bastard's ass for me."

Yusuke smirked and dramatically cracked his knuckles. "Gladly."

They shared a look of amusement and both began outright laughing. Keiko clutched her stomach, and Yusuke tipped his head back and pinched his nose as they both howled in laughter. "Just don't kill him," added Keiko as she wiped away a tear from her eye.

"Of course not," Yusuke smirked. "He can't feel pain if he's dead."

They both grinned at one another before Yusuke stood up to stretch his legs. He yawned a little, and he popped his back before saying, "I'm going to take a bit of a stroll down towards the river."

"Before you go, can you answer something first?" Keiko asked, feeling almost too eager.

"Sure."

Keiko slightly blushed but didn't shy away from her question. "When you were in Demon World, how often did you think about me… us… our promise?"

"I thought about us every day," Yusuke answered honesty as he scratched his head awkwardly. "Though I was mostly focused on finding who I am and kicking that bastard's ass for ruining my chance to defeat Sensui, you'd be there in my dreams, and after months and months of training so I could eventually be at the same level of my ancestral father, Raizen, I often wondered if you had kept it. Actually, after reconvening with Kurama on the other side, I asked about you, and he told me you were doing well, that you had gotten into the high school you wanted. And somewhere in the conversation, even though I hadn't asked, he somehow knew what I was wanting to know, and he told me you weren't dating anyone so that bit of information gave me hope, you know?"

Keiko nodded and was prepared to ask her next question, but he apparently wasn't done answering her first.

"I do, however, regret to say that there was a time where I lost sight of our promise. I was so focused on beating Raizen that at one point, everything else on my mind faded. And when Raizen died, it's like I lost sight of everything… I didn't even know who I was anymore because nothing seemed recognizable. Raizen was one of three kings who governed over specific regions of Demon World, and if things progressed as they were, then I would have inherited Raizen's position of power. I don't think I realized it at the time, but I didn't want to be a responsible ruler who made tough decisions how to govern a third of a world… it wasn't very appealing. So, I suggested we host a Demon Tournament in order to find a new ruler… make the Demonic World more of a democracy, I guess.

"A lot of demons who were friends with Raizen had hoped I would win the tournament, and I fought my hardest up until my last battle, but as I was fighting against Yomi, one of the other former three rulers, there was a moment where I just… froze…" Yusuke laced his fingers with hers and squeezed them gently. "I couldn't' feel any of the punches Yomi was giving me, and I couldn't focus… couldn't remember why I was fighting in the first place. And then, with help from Raizen's spirit or whatever, I was reminded that my reason for being in Demon World was never about the fights but about figuring out who I am as a Mazoku descendent. It was then that the memory of our promise hit me like a ton of bricks, and then BAM! I realized I had been fighting for all of the wrong reasons, and though I gave that battle against Yomi my all, I ended up losing in the end."

Yusuke let out a quiet chuckle as Keiko stayed silent while processing his story. Eventually, he added, "But you know what? I soon realized that fighting against Yomi was never about winning. I never cared about that, just as long as the fight was fair and honest. I lost, as I said, to a great warrior, but that doesn't matter to me anymore," he shook his head and walked up to Keiko to lightly kissed her forehead. "The important part is that I figured out who I am and how my Mazoku blood comes into play, and because of that, I was comfortable enough to come back home… back to you."

In that moment, Keiko turned towards Yusuke, and their eyes connected. He was grinning, and she blushed a little but smiled in return. But something still nagged at her, and her smile faded. "According to Kurama, the Demon Tournament ended several months before your return… so, where were you? Why didn't you come home the same time he did?"

"Enki, the new ruler, had asked me to be on his council because, for some reason I don't understand, he said I had a pretty leveled head. And seeing that I wanted to make sure Enki enforces the laws he had promised, I stayed around to ensure everything ran smoothly. But… I didn't know how long Enki wanted to keep me around…. One day, I decided I stayed long enough and wanted to come home… There was no more reason for me to stay, and I knew I had made you wait long enough… so before I left Demon World, I went to visit Raizen's grave, and we had a nice chat. He sent me off with good wishes, reminding me to never let go of the one I love." Yusuke pressed his cheek against Keiko's and hugged her instinctively as he whispered, "And I don't plan to."

Keiko closed her eyes and leaned into Yusuke's embrace, enjoying the warmth she felt whenever he would hold her close like the way he was holding her now. A welcomed moment of silence passed between them before Yusuke withdrew from her touch. "There was… something funny about your journal, though."

"Hm?" Keiko frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your journal," Yusuke replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest while trying not to smirk. "It was way too depressing at the end."

Keiko smacked his arm in annoyance. "That's because I was pissed at you for not coming home; how was I to know you would return the same day as my last entry?"

"Well, you could have at least added to it and include how much happier you are now that I'm back." The former detective shrugged as if it was the most obvious plan of action in the world. "I'm curious, though… why _did_ you stop writing after I came back?"

Keiko's lips bloomed into a colorful smile. "Because that journal was a substitution for you, Yusuke. I didn't write in it anymore because I didn't need to." She leaned forward and pressed a light kiss against Yusuke's cheek.

It was then that Yusuke smirked, but it wasn't because of her kiss. "Well, you know, I thought the ending was so depressing that I changed it into a happy one." He scratched his nose awkwardly and added, "In fact, you shouldn't read it." He rose to his feet and continued, "It's a descriptive documentary of our first night together."

Keiko tensed. "You didn't."

"I don't know. Did I?" Yusuke shrugged casually and twirled away from her as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked closer to the river. He stood in one place next to a tree, pretending a rock was more interesting than Keiko's reaction.

Keiko was prepared to wallop Yusuke for writing in her journal, but instead of chasing him right away, she decided to check if he was actually telling the truth. Swiftly, she dove her hand into her schoolbag and grabbed the journal, yanked it out, tossed her schoolbag downward and flipped through the pages haphazardly, as if she was searching for golden treasure.

And then there it was…, but what was written completely took her by surprise. Her eyes filled with tears, and her right hand naturally covered her mouth as she gazed at the beautiful, sparkly ring taped to the center of the next page. Surrounding the ring was his sloppy handwriting, a calligraphy only she knew how to read. Her eyes gazed at the words in front of her before glancing at the man who wrote them.

"Oh, Yusuke…," her heart whispered as she slowly rose to her feet. Carefully, she removed the ring from the page and slipped it on her left ring finger, marveling the perfect fit. As the book slipped from her lazy fingers, Keiko found herself racing towards Yusuke with almost unnatural speed. As if he knew where she was headed, he turned towards her, and the moment their eyes connected, Keiko collided into him, sending both of them into the river.

"Oye! Woman!" Yusuke exclaimed as he resurfaced seconds after Keiko, "stop jumping my bones near water!" He climbed out of the river and extended a hand towards Keiko, but the young, devious woman surprised him by yanking him back down into the water. Before he could protest a second time, she rose behind him and playfully dunked him into the current.

Before he could rise to the surface, Keiko quickly hopped out of the river and started running back towards their things, but after Yusuke popped out of the water like a strange mermaid, flinging droplets everywhere, he leapt out of the river and stormed after her. He managed to tackle her to the ground just a few feet away from their belongings before he spotted the ring on her finger.

His eyes widened with delight. "So that's a yes?"

Keiko lightly punched him in the shoulder and rolled her eyes, "What do you think, dummy?"

Yusuke smirked. He couldn't kiss her faster.

* * *

And if you happened to along the riverside today before dinner, you might have seen two smitten teenagers, wet from head to toe, making out on the grass, not having a care in the world for whoever might be watching. If you were close enough, you might even find two abandoned briefcases next to a wooden bench, one case with a school crest on the side, and another plain black one. But the most intriguing thing of all was leather-bound journal on the ground, lying next to a tiny picture. And on that picture, if you happened to be close enough to see it, the picture was of a black and white ultrasound of a small, 6-week-old baby, which had fallen out of the schoolbag.

And right beside it, the journal was opened to a particular page. And on that page, if had the chance to read it, was a half-torn piece of tape and a short message written for the journal's owner. It said:

 _ **Dear My Beloved Keiko,**_

 _ **I hope I'm not too late.**_

 _ **Will you still marry this jerkass for all the shit he's ever put you through?**_

 _ **(P.S. There is only one right answer).**_

 _ **With love,**_

 _ **Yusuke Urameshi**_

* * *

 **Fin.**

* * *

 **And done! The final chapter came to be much longer than expected, but I have no regrets. :) I've probably tried about eight different endings for this epilogue, but I am finally satisfied with the one I chose. I hope you will be too. ^_^ Yes, the ending is kind of cheesy lol**

 **Be sure to be on the lookout for new stories in the near future!**


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